2024-01-07 07:46
The two angels that came to Sodom had apparently accompanied the Lord to speak to Abraham on the plains of Mamre (Gen. 18). While the Lord remained and revealed to Abraham what He intended t… Read More
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Stand Therefore Blog
mtvchurchofchrist.org
Writing devoted to New Testament Christianity and the church of Christ.
2023-02-23 02:04
Ur was the native home of the Abraham family (Gen. 11:28). Before his father, Terah, passed away, his brother Haran died there and left his son, Lot, in the charge of his father and his brot… Read More
2023-02-14 13:06
As Noah’s family began to multiply and the number of descendants grew on the face of the earth after the flood, many of them began to venture forth from the region of Ararat (Armenia)… Read More
2023-02-14 03:14
Ur was the native home of the Abraham family (Gen. 11:28). His brother Haran died there even before his father passed away and left his son Lot in the charge of his father Terah and his brot… Read More
2023-01-24 13:35
The tenth chapter of the Book of Genesis gives us an overview of how all the nations of the world began. It is often referred to as the Table of Nations for that reason. Noah was told by God… Read More
2023-01-10 13:07
Gen 8:4 – And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat The world before the flood was different than the world we liv… Read More
2023-01-01 01:39
the word Eden means delight. It was a garden of delights. A Paradise. The physical description of the garden is one of a lush and beautiful and luxurious place. It is referred to as the gard… Read More
2021-08-13 02:23
What does it mean to be a Christian? All the various churches of “Christendom” call themselves “Christians,” but they all hold to distinct doctrines and beliefs, with… Read More
2021-07-06 04:51
People lead all kinds of lives for all kinds of apparent reasons. Some people become addicted to alcohol. Others are addicted to other drugs. Still others are thieves and extortioners and ot… Read More
2021-06-02 12:49
God created the institution of the family (Gen. 2:18ff). Nothing God created could ever be ugly or bad as long as it continues to function as God created it. Moses affirmed that all that God… Read More
2021-05-05 05:41
Life has been described in many ways by poets and scribes and philosophers and seers. All seem to agree that one of the ways to think about life is as a journey. On a journey, one begins at… Read More
2021-04-17 12:02
Let it be understood at the outset that the worship I am contemplating here is scriptural worship. Jesus said that those who worship God must do so in truth (John 4:24). By this He meant it… Read More
2021-04-03 11:40
People’s attitudes are different now than when I was growing up. I’m not really that old, though I have passed my life’s mid-century mark, but I remember a time when people… Read More
2021-03-13 12:56
Oh, hi, Timothy! How are you? You know, I am so glad I caught up with you. I was just talking to my friend the other day, Johnny Gospel. You might remember him. I introduced him to you befor… Read More
2021-03-04 06:10
The whole ordeal surrounding the arrest of Jesus and the stress of the illegal trial and the physical abuse He suffered put tremendous strain on the Lord’s earthly body. In the garden… Read More
2021-02-22 14:39
Why can’t people get along with one another? James asked and answered this very important question in one verse. “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hen… Read More
2021-02-12 21:07
The sound of music! Everyone loves good music. In fact, music is so universally enjoyed that it’s very name has become synonymous with good things, or a euphemism for things that work… Read More
2021-01-31 00:48
No subject of any magnitude can be intelligently addressed that first does not, at some level, acknowledge that God exists. The world we live in has to be explained for us to understand it a… Read More
2021-01-26 03:01
The Bible is God’s plenary, inspired, word-revelation to man (II Tim. 3:16, 17). It is a presentation to us of the things that God wants us to know about Him, ourselves and the world (… Read More
2021-01-09 13:27
When will there be peace on earth good will toward men? Every year around Christmas, certain local companies put up signs quoting Luke chapter two declaring “Peace On Earth” and… Read More
2020-11-27 14:04
This year has been very difficult for almost everyone. In my own case, at the beginning of the year, my own family suffered a very personal loss of a dearest loved one. I am not alone in tha… Read More
2020-11-04 17:42
We are up against an evil in the United States (and in the world) the likes of which we haven’t seen before. Oh, he has been around for a long time, but he has been subtile in how he w… Read More
2020-06-27 19:30
In recent days some have called for all images and statues of a white Jesus to be removed because, they say, it promotes “white privilege.” Shaun King, in particular tweeted &ldq&hell…Read More
2020-05-24 11:04
There was no compromise on their part, no wavering even in the face of death. No fear of the retribution promised by earthly dignitaries. Only a solemn determination to follow the commands o… Read More
2020-01-22 18:52
Jesus stated very simply: “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). Jesus spoke these words when des… Read More
2020-01-12 09:45
When you go to an optometrist you hope that he will tell you that you have 20/20 vision. This means that your vision is normal. Sometimes, however, our vision is less than normal and we need… Read More
2019-11-29 14:15
Have you ever stubbed your toe? Or, hit your thumb with a hammer? Maybe you burned yourself playing with fire? When you do so, you feel an immediate, unpleasant sensation. It’s that li… Read More
2019-11-16 11:42
What is wrong with our society? We are destroying historical monuments to erase our history. We allow men, dressed as weird, gross caricatures of women, to read to our children in public lib… Read More
2019-11-09 18:15
God created man to work. When God put man in the Garden of Eden He gave him the job of dressing and keeping it (Gen. 2:15). Out of the 290 times the word here translated “dress”… Read More
2019-11-05 03:00
God created the family and it is a sacred institution (Gen. 2:18-20). God designed man so that he shall leave his father and mother–that is, leave their local, protective care, not nec… Read More
2019-10-27 04:23
Oh, the wondrous things that Moses saw with his own eyes! Among the things that he saw was the bush that burned but was not consumed from which the Lord spoke to him (Ex. 3). He saw the migh… Read More
2019-10-18 17:32
Very early on in the history of man, Eve was attacked by that old serpent in the garden of Eden. He did not afflict her physically like he did Job. He did not tempt her sensually like he did… Read More
2019-10-13 00:39
What should be the Christian’s attitude toward money? Many great men of the Bible had great wealth. Abraham was very rich when he came out of Egypt and was probably already rich in Ur… Read More
2019-09-27 17:09
When God created the world, He not only gave it a spatial and material reality, He gave it a temporal one, as well. We live in and with the reality of time. Exactly what time is has been the… Read More
2019-09-07 04:16
Jesus’ apostles had been waiting for Him in the boat but He had been a long time in reaching them. He told them He would meet them but He first had to dismiss a crowd that had been lis… Read More
2019-08-31 20:19
Cain was angry when God did not respect his faithless offering (Gen. 4:5; Heb. 11:4). His anger manifested itself visibly in his sullen deportment (Gen. 4:6) and he took his anger out on his… Read More
2019-08-25 04:54
Jesus prayed to the Father: I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take t… Read More
2019-08-17 21:36
Prayer is such an important part of the Christian’s life that Jesus gave us an example of how to do it (Matt. 6:13-15). It is therefore something we should consider seriously. Prayer c… Read More
2019-08-10 21:09
Worship is an important and necessary part of the Christian’s life. However, some Christians complain that they don’t get anything out of worship. We must remember that worship i… Read More
2019-08-03 22:40
In the Bible, the heart is the controlling center of man. Every action–mental, physical and spiritual–can be said to have its origin in the heart. Imagination (Gen. 8:21), consid… Read More
2019-07-27 10:50
Before Jesus left this earth He told His apostles, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither… Read More
2019-07-19 02:21
It was midnight, though they could not tell what time it was where they were. Their ankles were secured and legs stretched out so that their bodies were forced to lie uncomfortably on their… Read More
2019-05-19 01:33
God is a God of love because God is love (II Cor. 13:11; I John 4:8). When John says that God is love we know, therefore, that it is an intrinsic part of His nature and that it is perfect in… Read More
2019-05-11 12:21
Wisdom is inherent with God alone (Jude 25; Rom. 16:25). No man can claim to be wise who rejects the most basic facts of life or ignores reality. Instead of being called wise this person wou… Read More
2019-05-04 12:58
Evolutionary scientists have a difficult time explaining how morality, especially altruistic behavior, developed by means of mutation and natural selection. The “holiest” doctrin… Read More
2019-04-19 18:03
The religious world in general does not understand what it means to have authority in religion. They understand it when it comes to their work or family matters and civic responsibilities bu… Read More
2019-04-12 00:30
Out of all the children of Israel who left Egypt, only Joshua and Caleb entered into the promised land (Num. 14:30; 26:65). Paul tells us that all the others who were of age failed to enter… Read More
2019-04-06 10:13
If we don’t feel thirsty, we won’t want a drink of water. If we are not hungry, then we won’t want a bite to eat. If we are not sleepy, then we won’t feel the need to… Read More
2019-03-30 13:59
When we speak of the church it is important to understand that we are not merely speaking about a group of people or a building. When we speak about the church we are talking about a plan Go… Read More
2019-03-22 07:47
God created man from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul (Gen. 2:7). God has told us that the life of the flesh is in the blo… Read More
2019-03-16 17:02
One of the greatest proofs of the divine origin of the Bible and of Christianity itself is fulfilled Bible prophecy. The Bible is replete with prophecies from the beginning of the Book of Ge… Read More
2019-03-09 10:51
The devil is just as far from God in power and might and wisdom and in every other such attribute as is any human being. This is true because God is infinite and perfect in every one of His… Read More
2019-02-22 15:54
The whole world lieth in wickedness (I John 5:19). For by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Romans 5:12). As i… Read More
2019-02-19 17:57
Angels apparently fascinate human curiosity. Our culture abounds with many references to them. For example, Wikipedia lists over 40 films about angels since 1935 and there are nearly fifty v… Read More
2019-02-09 16:52
It matters not what the subject may be, many people simply believe what they want to in spite of the truth Read More
2019-02-02 12:09
The Psalmist asked the question “What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?” (Psalm 8:4). David posed this question when considering all of God’s creation against the appar… Read More
2019-01-23 05:21
What is the greatest event in the history of mankind? Could there be any greater event in our history than when God became a man? The creation surely would be a contender, when God brought i… Read More
2019-01-11 18:38
We are never given the promise of another day or of another year. James tells us we do not know what the morrow may bring (James 4:14). As the song we sometimes sing says, it may be “s… Read More
2018-12-14 18:02
By my own estimation, my last blog entry was weak and perhaps confusing. It was confusing not because it was in error necessarily (or so I believe) but because it tried to cover too much and… Read More
2018-12-07 18:19
A Jewish male was circumcised the eighth day of his life and that act was a sign that the child was already bound by the covenant God had made with Israel (Ex. 34:28; Gen. 17:11-14). But an… Read More
2018-11-30 18:52
The apostle Paul was resigned to the fact of his impending death and martyrdom (II Tim. 4:6-8). During this time awaiting his death, Paul pens his final epistle and addresses it to his good… Read More
2018-11-23 02:36
On occasion, the apostle Paul used the imagery of warfare to depict the Christian life. He reminded the Corinthians that though it is not a carnal war, nevertheless we do engage in warfare… Read More
2018-11-16 16:44
Is heaven your passion? Really your passion? In Philippian letter, Paul had just described how he pressed toward that heavenly prize, pressing, ever pressing to attain unto the resurrection… Read More
2018-11-13 02:13
The apostle Paul wrote the epistle to the Colossians in order to stem the tide of a menacing heresy greatly affecting the churches in the region (cf. 2:4, etc.,). What is known of this parti… Read More
2018-10-27 03:38
The apostle Paul, heading for Jerusalem, was warned often that bonds and afflictions awaited him there (Acts 20:23). While he was in Caesarea, the Holy Spirit guided the prophet Agabas to on… Read More
2018-10-12 13:57
1:16 – I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation 2:16 – In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to… Read More
2018-10-12 13:57
1:16 – I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation
2:16 – In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to… Read More
2018-10-06 03:58
Jesus said “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). It is true that Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Is. 9:6). And i… Read More
2018-09-29 16:03
In contrasting the old covenant with the new (II Cor. 3:6ff), the apostle Paul described their relative glories. The comparison left the old covenant wanting by that measure. Paul wrote:
For… Read More
2018-09-22 16:20
The culture of Corinth was well known for its pursuit of pleasure. To be a Corinthian was proverbial for the hedonistic life. It is not surprising, then, that the church at Corinth faced man… Read More
2018-08-25 03:30
There was a time in the early church when Barnabas held greater influence than the apostle Paul (cf. Acts 13:1,2). Some time before Saul of Tarsus was immersed into Christ, Barnabas was alre… Read More
2018-07-27 03:35
All the faithful followers of Jesus must have been stunned and disheartened. Here was the Man that walked on water, that calmed the stormy sea, that multiplied a few loaves and fishes to fee… Read More
2018-07-20 03:06
“We have seen the Lord” (John 20:25)! These words must have been spoken with great excitement. Thomas had not been present when the Lord appeared to the Twelve earlier that week… Read More
2018-07-13 01:13
Somewhere outside the gates of the city of Jerusalem (Heb. 13:12) there was a place called Calvary. The Greek word translated “calvary” (kranion) meant “skull.” Luke… Read More
2018-07-06 09:08
Judas was a thief. The Bible is plain about this (John 12:6). He did not care for the poor and apparently was afflicted with the root of all kinds of evil (I Tim. 6:10). Another flaw in Juda… Read More
2018-06-28 23:59
It seems as though Pilate was trying to find a way out, a way that would not involve him any more in the condemnation of Jesus. Pilate warned Jesus to defend Himself, “Hearest Thou not… Read More
2018-06-20 23:32
I don’t know about you, but I want to go to heaven. In heaven there will be no more tears, pains, sorrows, or even death (Rev. 21:4). There the faithful will serve God eternally withou… Read More
2018-06-14 09:12
In Syhcar, in Samaria, Jesus had been so busy with teaching the woman at the well and then the people of the city, that He had neglected to eat. His disciples, concerned for Jesus’ wel… Read More
2018-06-08 03:44
After a long, weary day of answering the questions the Jewish leadership posed to Jesus (Matt. 21:23-22:40), in which they tried in vain to entrap Him verbally, Jesus turned the tables on th… Read More
2018-06-01 00:44
The city of Jerusalem was abuzz with the talk of Jesus of Nazareth. Will He make an appearance in Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover or will He stay hidden (John 11:56)? In the days lea… Read More
2018-05-25 02:45
It almost sounds like the beginning of a contemporary joke. “Two men went up into the temple to pray…” However, rather than being a joke, it is a very poignant teaching on… Read More
2018-05-18 00:49
Jesus does not give us the name of the rich man (Luke 16:19-31), though He does give us the name of the beggar. There must have been a good reason for this. Perhaps there was no need to make… Read More
2018-05-11 00:58
Everyone wanted to hear Jesus teach. We know the common people heard Him gladly (Mark 12:37). The Pharisees were forever listening in on Him, if for no other reason than to find a way to ent… Read More
2018-05-04 01:34
Exactly where He was teaching is not stated, though it was probably in Peraea. Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day (Luke 13:10). This was a common practice for the… Read More
2018-04-27 17:31
That the Jewish leadership wanted Jesus dead, was apparently not a secret to anyone who wanted to know (John 5:18; 7:1,25). It is not surprising then that when Jesus went up to the feast of… Read More
2018-04-19 15:56
Down through the ages, skilled artists have attempted to capture the face of Jesus either on canvass or in sculpture. Some have depicted Him in great agony; others with great compassion. Lat… Read More
2018-04-13 01:46
Having seen some of the greatest and most astonishing events that human eyes had ever witnessed, it is likely that the apostles would have discussed among themselves the wondrous things whic… Read More
2018-04-05 15:51
Jesus did not want to be found. He “entered into an house and would have no man know it” (Mark 7:24). This seems a little out of character for the Lord, who was always among the… Read More
2018-03-30 04:37
The wind was blowing wildly and the violent waves were lapping over the side of the vessel. The little ship was creaking as it was being tossed to and fro on the sea. Maybe the apostles, try… Read More
2018-03-22 04:12
The Lord had spent a full and busy day in Capernaum of teaching and healing all the sick that were brought to Him (Matt. 8:5,14,16). It was now evening and the Lord desired to get away from… Read More
2018-03-15 15:54
Jesus warned “beware of covetousness” (Luke 12:13-21). Covetousness (pleonexia) is “a strong or inordinate desire of obtaining and possessing some supposed good; usually in… Read More
2018-03-09 07:05
The gospel is to be preached to every person in the world (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15,16). Everyone in the world has an opportunity and an obligation to repent. It is a basic rule of sacred… Read More
2018-03-02 03:38
The sermon on the mount is recognized by all serious Bible scholars to be a statement of the very essence of Christian conduct and living. In this blog, I depart from my usual practice of wr… Read More
2018-02-23 04:45
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and t… Read More
2018-02-16 03:03
Man full of leprosy
Both Matthew and Mark simply call this man a “leper.” Luke, being a physician, records that he was “full of leprosy,” being more precise medically… Read More
2018-02-02 03:35
Jesus said men loved darkness rather than light (John 3:19). This was especially true with regard to man’s attitude toward Jesus’ first coming (John 1:12). The kings of the earth… Read More
2018-01-26 19:05
Jesus was invited (“called”) to a wedding, both He and His disciples. Not only was Jesus’ mother there, but the suggestion is that His whole family was there (2:12), leadin… Read More
2018-01-18 17:17
When Jesus had just been baptized by John in the Jordan river, continuing to fulfill all righteousness (Matt. 3:15), then the heavens opened and the Spirit of God descended in a bodily shape… Read More
2018-01-12 04:23
Matthew’s account of the birth of Christ is the only gospel account that records the visit of the wise men (Matt. 2:1-12). The expression “wise men” is translated from the… Read More
2018-01-05 09:20
One of the most profound statements in all the Bible begins John’s Gospel account: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:… Read More
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